Imperio
by Miranda Tam
Summary: A series of poems dealing with a darker and smarter Peter Pettigrew. Canon-compliant for now. Rating might change. SLASH.
1. Just Peter

Just Peter

_They should have seen it coming._

_But how could they?_

_It was just little Peter, after all._

_Just Peter, who was so bad at transfiguration_

_A third year could have done better,_

_Just Peter, clumsily running down the hall_

_To catch up with his friends,_

_Just Peter, who still melted a cauldron_

_Every other potions class._

_Just Peter, who managed the minimum grade_

_For all the classes he really wanted._

_Just Peter, who (somehow) mastered the confunus charm_

_Before anyone else in their year._

_Just Peter, who madaged to teach_

_Occlumency to the marauders_

_(never more than he could easily get through),_

_Just Peter, who managed the animagus transformation first_

_(because really, it relied more on mental discipline.)_

_(James still got second.)_

_Just Peter, with an affinity for the mind arts_

_The others didn't ever suspect._

_Just Peter, who had cast the imperius curse the first time_

_And Sirius had told Snape how to find Remus at the full moon._

_Just Peter, who kept the unforgivable curse on Sirius_

_Until that halloween when all hell broke loose._

_Just Peter, who cursed him again_

_That night in the Shrieking Shack._


	2. A Room In His Head

A Room in his Head

_He made a room in his head._

_It took him a while to do this,_

_But if you were under the imperius curse_

_For five years, you would have one too._

_When Peter was in his head_

_(Seeingcontrollingbeing)_

_He tried to escape_

_Tried to find a way out._

_But he never had the strongest will._

_The best he could do was_

_WatchThinkPlan_

_So he made a room in his head_

_Where Peter couldn't change his thoughts_

_(He still had Sirius's armshandsfeetface)_

_He had one hour_

_One glorious hour_

_(jameslilydead)_

_(PeterWormtailallhisfault)_

_(hadtomakethattraitorpay)_

_and then_

_Azkaban_

_Where he changed into Padfoot_

_And went to his room_

_The room in his head_

_Where the dementors couldn't find him._

_Later_

_(monthsyearsdecades)_

_Leaving the room_

_(traitor's face)_

_(a newspaper)_

_(e s c a p e)_

_He had to save Harry_

_Before Peter got him, boxed him up._

_That night_

_The Shrieking Shack_

_He thought they would make it_

_He would be free_

_(then he wondered where Peter had learned wandless unforgivables.)_


	3. James's Nightmares

James's Nightmares

_James had been wondering_

_What was wrong with Sirius._

_After all,_

_You notice when your best friend changes._

_So one day,_

_James cornered him in an empty room_

_And confronted him._

_They argued_

_And shouted_

_And almost cursed each other_

_But then_

_James noticed his best friend's eyes._

…

_There is a saying that says_

_The eyes are the window to the soul._

…

_Half an hour later_

_James woke up tied to a chair._

_Peter_

_(thateviltraitor)_

_gloated_

_while Sirius stood off to one side_

_looking at nothing._

_That image haunted James's nightmares for weeks_

_Even after he couldn't remember what had caused it._


	4. Differences

Differences

_Remus didn't quite know_

_What had happened._

_After the_

_Incident_

_At the shrieking shack,_

_The Marauders_

_(even him)_

_were acting_

_(off,wrong,notthemselves)_

_different._

_Sirius was_

_For lack of a better word_

_Blank, gone, waking-but-not._

_James_

_Was dreaming in screams_

_And people not there._

_Peter_

_Confident, smug, but hiding that_

_Just under the surface,_

_Triumphant._

…

_Remus asked Moony what was wrong._

_(a wolf, so much more sensitive than a human)_

_(can smell anything, even fear)_

_Moony asked why Padfoot was missing._

…

_A week or two after the next full moon_

_James had a partner in his night terrors._


	5. Laying Low at Lupin's

Laying Low at Lupin's

_Sirius knew it was coming._

_They portkeyed away_

_And it was just the two of them._

_(Well, three if you count Peter.)_

_Moony(Remus?Lupin?)_

_Looked at him_

_With that Look in his eye._

_So, he said,_

_Here we are._

_Alone._

_Not alone,_

_Sirius wanted to say_

_(scream,shout,yell)_

_Not me._

_Yes, his mouth_

_(but not really his)_

_betrayed him._

_Alone._

_Just the two of us._

_(three, he screamed in his head)_

_Then Moony was there_

_Right there_

_In front of not-his-face_

_And they leaned in._

_Sirius went to his room and cried._

**Because, according to one of my friends, it wouldn't be fanfiction without slash.**

**This is my first (and may be my only) author's note for this story – I feel like the poem could be interrupted by annoying bold writing at the bottom, but it seems to be necessary. So: I do not own Harry Potter or any related thingamajigs. Just your slightly-above-average high school student.**

**From this point forward, there will probably be small divergences from canon, possibly culminating into a complete AU (which this could already be, but also could be not). I haven't quite decided yet. Updates on this will be sporadic, based on when my Muse gets ideas and when she finally writes them out. Sirius/Remus will be the only pairing unless my Muse decides to steal Jo's characters from me. It will mostly be Sirius POV, but the perspective will jump around a bit.**

**Thanks to Ann Onymous, my first reviewer! **

**Enjoy, review, give feedback and suggestions. My Muse needs to be fed.**


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